A Prima Donna on PC: Creative Labs Audigy 2

Audigy 2 And Audigy 2 Platinum

As usual, Creative Labs' Audigy 2 sound cards come in three versions:

Audigy 2:

The Audigy 2 is the basic offer. At $129, this card has the following connections:

• Mini-jack stereo analog outputs: front and surround;
• Mini-jack three-speaker analog outputs: center, subwoofer and center surround;
• 5.1-compatible S/ PDIF mini-jack output;
• Line-in;
• Microphone-in;
• SB1394 port;
• Internal Tad-in input;
• Internal CD-in input;
• 15-pin MIDI/ game port on internal bracket;
• SB1394/ FireWire connector;
• AD-EXT connector for extra internal rack.

The software package includes the following features:

• Creative Media Source;
• Audio Stream Recorder 2;
• Creative Diagnostic;
• Mini Disc Center;
• Creative Wave Studio;
• Speaker Calibrator;
• SoundFont Bank Manager;
• Surround Sound Mixer;
• Speaker Settings;
• Soldier Of Fortune II: Double Helix;
• Hitman 2: Silent Assassin.

Audigy 2 Platinum:

The Audigy 2 Platinum will cost $199. It has the Audigy 2 card and an internal 5.25" input/output rack to add the following connections:

• Second SB1394 port;
• Headphone output with volume control;
• Optical and coaxial S/ PDIF outputs;
• Optical and coaxial S/ PDIF inputs;
• RCA x2 analog input;
• Two-jack Microphone/ Line-in 2 input with gain control;
• MIDI-in and MIDI-out;
• Infrared port for IR remote control.

The software package is the same as for the Audigy 2, plus the following programs:

• Steinberg Cubasis VST;
• Native Instrument Traktor DJ;
• Ulead 5.0.

The internal 5.25" rack is connected via a ribbon cable (similar to an IDE cable) and another round cable for connecting the SB1394 port on the outside.

Audigy 2 Platinum eX:

The Audigy 2 Platinum eX uses the same system as the Audigy Platinum eX, meaning a card and an external rack, but it has some extra technical features that will interest music-makers, especially the fact that it alone supports the ASIO 2.0 standard, and so it can handle recording and processing in 24 bits/ 96 kHz with Cubase VST. The basic Audigy 2 and Platinum only have ASIO 1, so they are limited to 16 bits/ 48 kHz in this respect. What's more, the external rack has been completely redesigned and will look like the Extigy.

The Audigy 2 Platinum eX is due for release early in 2003.